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“Stillness is a powerful way to find contentedness and success in life.”

In his book, “Stillness Is The Key,” Ryan Holiday talks about the importance of stillness in our day to day lives.

According to Ryan, “Stillness is not about inactivity. It’s about powerful moments that change our lives.”

Stillness help us think clearly, avoid distraction, conquer impulses, and eventually find happiness.

We are constantly stressed out from overflowing inboxes and constant stream of social media notifications popping up every minute.

Prominent people from all walks of life are being featured in this book and how they cultivate stillness into their lives; including John F. Kennedy, Tiger Woods, Anne Frank, and other figures.

“If people could find peace within themselves, they would still be able to think, work, and be well even if the world is at war.” -Philosopher Seneca

Ryan Holiday also talks about slowing things down and being in the present moment in his book, “Stillness Is The Key.”

Nowadays, we take photos instead of enjoying a beautiful sunset. We take several photos of our food taking time to get the perfect angle to look pretty on Instagram, instead of eating it while it’s still warm and delicious. We check our phones while staying in line at the grocery store.

We’re constantly bombarded with information. Too much of anything is not good. Including too much information.

In a busy, noisy world, stillness is the key to peace, clarity, and happiness.

Ryan Holiday also talks about how journaling is a time of reflection. I couldn’t agree more.

I used to journal a few years back. No wonder I was more calm and collected than I am now. I journal from time to time though, when I remember. This book reminded me how freeing it is to write your thoughts down. Or even just be still and listen to my own thoughts.

Keep a journal. Write down your thoughts before going to bed and you’ll find yourself being free from those noisy thoughts swirling in your head and you’ll be able to sleep soundly.

Journal. Get things off your chest. Find stillness through writing and reflection.

I’m a night person so I don’t wake up early. That’s why during days that I miraculously wake up early, I enjoy the break of dawn with a cup of tea before everyone else awakens. Before the horns start blaring and the children chatter excitedly on their way to school.

A constant companion during these peaceful hours in the morning is a good book and my stuffed animal. Occasionally, a crow would fly near the windowsill as if to say, “Good morning. I see you have woken up early today. Have a nice day.” It does a couple hops towards me but doesn’t get too close, and then it flies away in search for its breakfast.

In “Stillness Is The Key,” Ryan Holiday also talks about the importance of taking naps. I used to take naps when I was in college. I call it a “power nap” where I would take naps for 20-30 minutes after having lunch. When I wake up, I feel refreshed, my head clear of any unnecessary thoughts, and then I head off to take classes.

We tend to feel that there is always something to do. We tell ourselves that we need to reply to that mail. That we have to join the last-minute outing that out friends invited us to. We don’t need to do everything all at once. There is no need to add another thing in our already full plate. You’ll just end up with leftovers and you won’t feel good afterwards.

STOP. Be present. Know your limits. Learn to say, “NO.”

Give attention to your physical health, to your spirit and mind, and you can cultivate “stillness.”

You can feel the “power of stillness” in your life when you slow things down. Calm things down. Quiet things down. Embrace stillness today.

Overall, “Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday,” is a very insightful read.

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Thoughts on Procrastinate on Purpose: 5 Permissions to Multiply Your Time by Rory Vaden

In his book, Procrastinate on Purpose: 5 Permissions to Multiply Your Time, Rory Vaden talks about how to procrastinate on purpose, but in this book review, I would like to focus on the “multiply your time” part.

Let me just touch a little bit about procrastination though. The procrastination talked about in the book isn’t putting off something you should be doing because you don’t want to. Instead, Rory Vaden talks about having the patience to wait until the optimal time to act.

It allows you to adapt to unpredictable changes, whether that’s a change in the weather, the stock market or a customer’s requirements. In our fast-paced modern world, things tend to change at breakneck speed. So don’t be scared of a little procrastination, and have the patience to wait and see.

Now, on to my favorite part, multiplying time. How do you multiply time? There’s only 24 hours in a day. Multiply it by 2 and you get 48 hours in a day. Woah! He must be a magician to do that! Well, not quite.

It’s more like creating more time by eliminating tasks you don’t necessarily have to do, delegating tasks to other people, prioritizing things, and eliminating distractions so that you can focus on the task at hand and therefore finish it faster. It’s about being productive without being too busy.

“The most successful people never complain about being busy.”

Quit complaining about how much you have to do. Instead of worrying about your to-do list and the hundreds of things that you have to do, get on with it one task at a time.

Oh the satisfaction of crossing out a task in your to-do list after completing it. We tend to add little tasks underestimating its “tinyness” just so we can feel more productive. But in reality, those “tiny” tasks will add up and end up taking much of your time.

Eliminate not add. Less is more. Make more time by going through your tasks with an elimination mindset. Cross out your tasks with the highest priority first. Don’t add tasks unless they’re important not because they feel important. There’s a difference.

Delegate tasks. Don’t try to do everything by yourself. Use another pair of hands because as the saying goes, “Many hands make work light.”

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